Pretend Games
by HikariKetsueki
Summary: Oneshot. NaruHina. Fluffy. Just 10 year old Naruto has nothing better to do in his spare time as a Jinchuuriki that is shunned by the villagers. And while playing pretend games alone, he meets somebody.


Oneshot. NaruHina. Fluffy. Just something sugary for all fans of this pairing, not exactly downright romantic, but is in a sense, cute. 10 year old Naruto has nothing better to do in his spare time as a Jinchuuriki that is shunned by the villagers. Playing pretend games alone, he first meets somebody. Somebody that somewhat appealing.

_**A/N: This has turned so sickly sweet for me, I'm getting diabetes. Anyway, as my first attempted fanfiction, I urge you to read it! Minus the part of being shunned and friend/family-less, this part of Naruto somehow resembles a miniscule part of me -- that is, the pretend games. Anyway... Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Naruto, and the characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. If I DID own Naruto, I wouldn't be writing a fanfiction, would I? Only the plot and ideas in this fanfiction is mine.**_

At the age of ten, Naruto Uzumaki had come up with many mind games to entertain himself with. It was not because he especially enjoyed them, nor was it because he prefers solitary.

Naruto was a Jinchūriki, a boy whose body contains the feared kyuubi sealed inside him. The kyuubi was a nine-tailed monster, the best that brought havoc and death to Konoha and the Sandaime a decade ago. As a result, the people of the Hidden Leaf village shunned the boy – a way to express their rejection, fear, and hatred. Younger generations were indeed clueless about the monster inside Naruto, yet they still unintentionally avoid him.

The game that Naruto liked the most was to roam around the village and take 'mind photographs' – pretending to capture everyday life moments into a still image with a make-do 'camera' in his head, and coming up with artistic titles to imitate professional photographers.

One Saturday morning, knowing that nobody would invite him to a game of tag – or anything for all that matters, Naruto decided to go around the neighbourhood and play pretend games. After all, there were no classes to attend at the academy, and he didn't feel like training before lunch.

First, Naruto ran through the playground. There he saw Kiba Inuzuka playing catch with none other than his dog. He liked the way it would soar through the air with the rubber ball in his mouth, running across the grassy field to return it to his grinning master.

"Good job, Akamaru!" Kiba complimented affectionately. Akamaru's tail wagged overdrive, "Now try catch this one!"

With his right hand gripping the rubber ball tightly, he threw it with all his might. It sailed across the sky and landed not too far from the woods that stood close to the village gates. Akamaru gave a delighted bark and set off to retrieve the ball.

Click.

'Companionship.' Naruto thought to himself, as he watched enviously at the laughing Kiba. 'That would be the perfect title.' Satisfied with himself, he ran down the footpath that led to the bank.

Naruto slowed down a little when he made it down the slopes, but his eyes were concentrating only on the body of water that reflected the colours of the morning sky. A boy that was sitting alone on the pier now caught his attention, just reaching flat ground again.

Judging by the crest on the boy's back, Naruto knew that it must be Sasuke from the Uchiha clan. He kept on running, but at that second, the boy on the pier turned around, and their eyes met.

"Lonely eyes," Naruto murmured, "And no family and friends either…just like me."

But Sasuke gave Naruto a scowl and spun his head back, dangling his legs over the water.

_Click._

'Hm… I'll call that image…'Loneliness'. …No. 'Rivalry'!' Naruto decided, smirking as he ran back into the neighbourhood and thus leaving the raven-haired boy with the glistening bank.

Naruto ran through the crowded streets, turning right. Then left. Into the deserted alleyway that he knew too well, before turning right. Then right again. With a dramatic billow of dust, he finally stopped. And grinned.

_Click._

'This one's easy. The title is 'Heaven'.' Naruto's grin brightened. It was his most favourite place on Earth – Hidden Leaf village's famous Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"Hello there, Naruto!" waved the shopkeeper, Teuchi, "Here for tonkotsu ramen?"

"Not now! It's too early. But trust me to come back at lunch!" Naruto replies, hand on stomach.

"Of course! I'll be sure to save an extra large serving for you."

Naruto was, after all, a favourite regular.

With a final wave at the old man, he continued on running, looking for adventures that lurked around. He made a sharp turn at the next corner, crashing into a young girl and knocking her off her feet.

"S-sorry." Naruto mumbled, quickly getting up and offering her a hand.

"It's okay." Came the soft reply, barely audible if he wasn't standing so close. The girl – Hinata of the Hyuuga clan – reached for his awaiting hand and pulled herself up. She smoothed out her furisode (formal kimono) and blushed when she realised that Naruto was still looking at her. Not knowing what to do, Hinata gave him a brief, shy smile before hurrying off.

_Click_.

Naruto cursed himself for being a few seconds late at capturing this moment, but it wouldn't matter. Her face was already branded inside his mind.

Hinata Hyuuga, whose complexion was two part peaches and one part cream; whose lips were cherry red; and whose eyes were twinkling with warm familiarity was somewhat – how would he put it?

Pleasing to the eye.

As he stumbled back down the street, he struggled to come up with a fitting title for this image.

It had to be something elegant, yet enchanting – that would only do it justice. But he doubted that such word even existed in a dictionary; let alone, a ten-year-old's vocabulary.

For ten minutes, Naruto retreated in silence to the playground. But as he neared the plot of sunflowers that marked the entrance to the playground, Naruto stopped in his motion.

And smiled.

He had found it.

Its title is 'Beauty'.

_Utter beauty_.

**_P.S. For those in the know, Hinata's name written in Kanji is literally 'towards the sun', so I thought that sunflowers would somehow inspire Naruto to give that title to it._**


End file.
